Two Souls
by ohmytheon
Summary: There is nothing more special than the bond between a person and their daemon. Ochako wants to prove to the world that she and her daemon are capable of becoming heroes while Katsuki and his daemon are ready to take it on. What neither of them counts on is that same world pulling them together, creating a bond stronger than anything thought possible.
1. First Days

**Notes:** Yay! Kacchako Positivity Week is here! Despite the fact that I have a million other things going on, I decided that I wanted to participate in this weekly event since I've never fully done one. I have all seven prompts finished so all I have to do is post them on the days. How exciting! At first, I wasn't sure what to do, but then I decided on sticking with a specific AU or theme and tying them all together. Then the idea for a daemon AU popped into my head and obviously I couldn't let that go. I did more research on people's daemons than turned out to be necessary, so watch me write more for this AU since I've fallen in love with it.

Notes on daemons  
Katsuki Bakugou: Eurasian Wolf - Mako  
Ochako Uraraka: Asian Golden Cat - Hayato  
Izuku Midoriya: Maned Wolf - Tomoko  
Denki Kaminari: Platypus - Hikaru

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

 ** _Day Zero - First Day_**

* * *

It wasn't until Ochako stepped fully into the class did she see the giant wolf daemon lounging on the edge of the room. Her heart leapt into her throat and she nearly scooped Hayato in her arms out of habit. However, she was in the hero course now and she couldn't let herself get worked up over someone's daemon, no matter how massive and dangerous they looked.

Ochako had been raised not to judge people based on what their daemons settled as, but it was difficult sometimes. She'd never seen a wolf daemon in person and the ones she'd seen on television or in movies had, well, belonged to villains. This wolf was attached to someone that wanted to be a hero though and she felt a little ashamed for allowing the prejudiced thought to cross her mind. A wolf daemon wasn't necessarily bad. It could be a symbol of strength or determination.

Honestly, she was going to need to look at things differently if she was going to become a hero. She couldn't get scared by someone simply because their daemon was much more ferocious or larger than hers. She'd have to get over it, both her and Hayato, who was admittedly more apt to judge daemons since he was one.

Unfortunately, the daemon must've seen her freeze because its golden brown eyes swept in her direction, landing on her so solidly that she felt rooted to the spot. Most people's daemons were either polite or distant, so they kept their focus on other daemons. She'd never had someone else's look at her so thoroughly, as if it could see right through her and measure her worth, and it admittedly shook her up. This wasn't just impolite; it was almost unheard of. Did the person's daemon have no manners? Did it not care about certain taboos? Even her parents' daemons referred to hers more often than not.

In response, Hayato slid between her legs to step in front of her, his hackles raised and tail bushy as could be, so close to hissing. As impossible as it sounded, the wolf seemed to give them a lupine grin and then languidly yawned, its sharp teeth gleaming in the light. The bored action made Hayato seem small in comparison and she could tell that he was frustrated.

 _Ignore it,_ Ochako told him as they made their way to a desk.

 _I'll scratch that smug grin off its face,_ Hayato declared. Gracefully hopping on top of her desk, he shot the wolf daemon one more glare before laying down. Ochako sighed. Honestly, she did not want to make enemies on her first day, but it was difficult to not do that when a daemon antagonized hers upon first sight.

As she pulled her things out of her backpack, Ochako tried to stealthily scan the room to figure out whose daemon belonged to who, most importantly that wolf. She knew Deku's and Iida's daemons on sight, having taken the Hero Entrance Exam with them. Deku's daemon kind of reminded her of the wolf, but his was smaller, redder, and had long thin legs. She also noted that, while Deku was comfortable enough to sit near it, his daemon edged around the wolf and sat out of its reach, which seemed to amuse the wolf.

Ochako's eyes slid from the daemons up to the boy sitting behind Deku. Well, she couldn't really call it sitting, not with the way his feet were propped on the desk and he was leaning precariously back in his chair. As soon as she caught sight of his face, she knew the wolf belonged to him. There was an equally wolfish smirk on his face and his red eyes were just as sharp as the wolf's teeth. She'd never seen a person and their daemon look so alike.

As if sensing eyes on him, the boy's eyes flickered over to her, but she quickly ducked her head to avoid being seen. She had a feeling that he would've viciously snapped at her if he'd thought she was staring at him, but since there was no one yelling, she knew that she hadn't been caught. That was a relief.

 _Subtle,_ Hayato pointed out.

Ochako's face was still a little pink when she zipped up her backpack and sat straight. She glared at her daemon, but ran her fingers through his beautiful golden fur way he liked. He was conscious enough not to purr in delight like some silly house cat, but he did flick his tail to let him know that he was happy. She was happy too. They were going to be heroes! They'd make everyone proud and give her parents the life of comfort they deserved.

She would focus on that. It didn't matter what daemons her classmates' had. She wouldn't let that intimidate her. So what if that was one of the largest daemons she'd ever seen? It wasn't like it could do anything to her. Maybe it could gobble up Hayato in a few bites, but it wouldn't dare. There would be fights, to be sure - no one's daemons came out of a hero course unscathed - but Hayato was up for the challenge. She'd made sure to have a long discussion with him about it before applying to UA. This wasn't just her life, after all. What happened to her happened to him.

Together they would become heroes.

But first they had to survive high school.

* * *

Truth be told, the first day that Katsuki recognized Uraraka or her daemon wasn't until their match at the Sports Festival, which, in Mako's opinion, was kind of stupid. She was like that though, always pointing things out to him that no one else would dare. One) he wouldn't dare hurt her, even if she did say things to piss him off sometimes; and two) because she was right and he could admit that. His daemon was sharp as a tack and on point.

Having multiple interactions with Uraraka brought up to him had not been pleasant, seeing as how it made him realize just how unobservant he'd been.

Not only should he have paid attention to his classmates more so he could've known how to play to their strengths and weaknesses more, but he should've noticed their daemons as well. Of course you couldn't judge a person by their daemon. His mom had a delicate swan daemon and was an utter nightmare. All Might had a beetle and destroyed that Nomu specifically built to defeat him. Uraraka had some pretty golden cat and had dropped a meteor shower on him after he'd repeatedly blown her up a handful of times.

 _Her daemon's pretty bold, considering how cute they look,_ Mako mused.

Katsuki scowled, refusing to respond to that. Now that they were waiting for their turn in the next round, all he could do was watch the other matches in order to figure out who he was going to defeat to get to the top. No way was he going to let Deku with his weird daemon or Icy Hot with that prissy fox win.

Unfortunately, his eyes kept finding their way over to Uraraka, who was sitting in the row in front of him to his left. She'd been mostly healed by Recovery Girl with a few injuries bandaged so she wouldn't be completely out of commission. It was a little disconcerting to see her cheering and laughing after seeing her pass out from overusing her quirk. It was even more troublesome when he remembered how Mako had padded over to her little daemon and nudged it gently with her nose.

Neither one of them were prone to becoming close to people and that meant their daemons too. He could count on his hands the number of times on one hand that Mako had spoken to someone else. She'd stare a person down until they looked away from discomfort, but rarely grace them with her raspy and melodic voice. She wasn't warm with other daemons either, typically because she didn't care to be around any that could be considered prey.

She did, however, take notice of them, which she was now pointing out with glee. Contrary to Katsuki's mostly blank expression, except for the faint near-permanent scowl on his face, Mako was grinning, her tongue lolling out like some sort of dog's. She acted like that sometimes whenever she was particularly pleased. Beating Uraraka and her cat daemon had put her in a good mood, to the point where she was egging him on.

 _You didn't notice her the first day of school?_ Mako pressed curiously.

 _Why the hell would I?_ Katsuki dismissed, keeping his eyes forward and on the arena.

All humans and daemons could have these mental conversations with one another. It was like their thoughts and emotions were sent back and forth through the bond between them. They didn't need to look at each other or even touch to have them, but most people preferred it. He and Mako had had secret conversations their entire lives. It was theirs. No one else needed to know they were talking.

 _Because she was staring right at us and her daemon acted like it was going to attack me,_ Mako said, clearly amused. It was very rare when other daemons were aggressive with her. Not that she would've minded it. Sometimes he rather thought she was jealous that he got all the action and fighting. When she went up against other daemons, they had to do more evading than fighting since her jaws and claws were deadly.

Uraraka's daemon had actually scratched Mako's nose, the pink mark on it irrefutable proof. Instead of being mad that she'd been tagged though, it had only bolstered her further. It was very rare that another daemon landed a hit on her. Only Deku's had been able to do that so far during the hero combat training with All Might and that hadn't pleased either of them. She'd snapped at him when he'd tried to tend to the wound.

 _She was there for that too,_ Mako pointed out idly, catching onto his line of thoughts. _She was the reason they won, wasn't she?_

Of course. When Deku had destroyed half the building with his quirk, she'd used her gravity manipulating quirk to wreck Four Eyes and launch herself over him like she'd jumped on a springboard in order to catch the fake nuke. He had been too busy dealing with Deku to pay attention to her.

Mako tutted through their bond. _I warned you._

Katsuki snorted. _Like you weren't distracted by Tomoko._

Having broken their silent conversation, Kaminari turned to look at him and ask, "What's so funny, Bakugou?"

"Nothing, you platypus brain," Katsuki snapped.

Kaminari merely scratched his daemon's head from its spot on his shoulder and turned back to the arena. "That wasn't even creative."

 _He's right,_ Mako added.

Sometimes, Katsuki wondered what it would be like if he didn't have a daemon that was as opinionated and honest as he was, but then again, they probably wouldn't meld together as one if he did. Sure, she got on his case, but he was constantly pushing himself anyways. He needed that extra push from her if they were going to get to the top. After all, he couldn't make it there without her.


	2. Fragile

**Notes:** The rest of these chapters will be past what we know of canon. I will actually write some more canon scenes with daemons in the future, but for this, it felt better to just do original scenes of them.

* * *

 _ **Day One: Fragile**_

* * *

When Katsuki witnessed Uraraka lift practically an entire building over their heads, all he could do was stop and stare. Even Mako was struck silent, blood dripping from her open jaw. He could still remember when she tried to pull that move on him during their first Sports Festival. Back then, she'd been at her limit. Compared to that now, she was absolutely on fire. She had to have a limit, but this was more massive than he'd ever seen. A villain had destroyed the base of the building, but instead of it toppling on them, half of it hung in the air.

"What the hell is she doing?" Katsuki yelled over the noise.

"She's giving us an escape route!" Mako shouted back as she bounded over to him.

Katsuki swung his gaze from the outskirts of the building's drop zone where civilians, heroes, and villains alike were scattering. However, with all that weight tugging on her quirk, Uraraka was on her hands and knees, just barely managing to keep it together. It was taking everything in her to hold it up until everyone got to safety, but it left her stranded and barely able to move. Her golden cat daemon was huddled underneath her, its back pressed against her stomach as if it could keep her up.

What about Uraraka's escape?

 _That's what we're for._

There was a burst of pride in Katsuki's chest that he wasn't sure belonged to him or his daemon. Mako took one last glance at him before she howled wildly and began to lope in Uraraka's direction. She was quicker than a wolf had any right to be, unnaturally so, and Katsuki used a series of explosions to launch himself after her. When he dropped down next to Uraraka, Mako skidded to a halt and the two of them looked at each other.

Uraraka was much worse off than she'd looked from afar. She'd thrown up already, which meant that she'd gone past the limit of her quirk, and her entire body was shaking. It was hard to tell with his fur, but her daemon looked more golden than normal, shinier, as if he was bleeding Dust. Using her quirk so extensively was not just straining her; it was pulling at the very fabric of her being.

"We need to get out of here!" Katsuki exclaimed, putting a hand on her back to still her shaking. "Can you move?"

He knew that she heard him from the way her head twisted, but surprisingly it was her daemon who answered instead. "She can't! If she tries to move, she'll pass out unless she releases her quirk!" His brown eyes implored them both from underneath her hunched figure before locking onto Katsuki. "Help her!"

They were at the end of their second year and Uraraka's daemon had never once spoken to him. As friendly and bubbly as she was, he'd noticed that her daemon tended to be more reserved. It had taken him until the attack on their camping trip before he'd spoken to Asui, not until their Provisional License Exam apparently to Deku, and then another month after that to Iida. On the opposite end, Katsuki rarely had other people's daemons speak to him. Kirishima and Kaminari had both been exceptions, their daemons opening up rather quickly, while Ashido's had been standoffish and Sero's anxious up until recently.

Mako didn't just talk to people. She had very little interest in them. It took her much longer to open up to the others than their daemons had with him.

Of course Katsuki had heard Uraraka's daemon talk before, just never to him and never like this. There was real desperation in his voice, but also anger and determination. He would do whatever it took to protect his human, even if it meant doing something he hated. Even if it meant trusting someone Katsuki was sure that he didn't like. He'd seen the glares the cat daemon had sent him even when Uraraka smiled and laughed.

"You heard him," Katsuki barked.

Oh, the little daemon (and perhaps Uraraka too) was not going to like this, but it was their only option. If Uraraka couldn't move without releasing her quirk and dropping the building on them, they would have to move her themselves. Mako understood right away and carefully reached under Uraraka with her snout to take hold of her daemon and pull him out from underneath her. Holding him by his scruff certainly wasn't pleasant and the daemon didn't like it one bit, kicking and yowling, furious at being taken away.

"What are you doing?" the daemon demanded.

"Getting you two out of here!" Katsuki's words silence the cat and stopped his fighting. He hadn't meant to respond to it, but Mako's mouth was literally full and they didn't have time for his fighting. "Now go!"

Mako didn't need to be told twice, turning on her heels and booking it to the edge. As future heroes, they'd trained hard to stretch the distance of their soul bond. They needed to have a running start if they were going to make it in time. Katsuki watched them go, counting the seconds as he felt the uncomfortable tug on his bond. He couldn't let them go too far or Uraraka would break, but if he shot off too soon, the sudden change would be worse.

When the timing was near, he leaned over Uraraka, slipping an arm underneath her and pulling her snug against his chest. She gasped and tiny bits of concrete began to drop from the building. Close to her ear, Katsuki murmured, "Don't ever let anyone tell you again that you're fragile after this."

Uraraka stilled in his grip and then slowly took one hand off the ground to hold onto his arm. It was a delicate touch, a trusting gesture, that he wasn't quite sure he'd ever earned.

And then he was off, blasting at what probably felt like the speed of light for her. She really should have rockets put in her boots or something to propel her instead of just floating. When they made it out of this alive, he'd tell her. She obviously hadn't been prepared for the sudden movement and her grip on him tightened. All he could do was pray that she didn't puke all over him. It didn't matter the severity of the situation; Mako would laugh for days over it.

He was close to catching up with Mako near the edge when Uraraka gasped, "Hayato-"

"Mako's got him!"

Tears streamed down her face. "I-I can't- hold it-"

"Yes, you can!" Katsuki yelled over the boom of another one of his explosions. Using one hand meant going slower than two, but she didn't have the strength to hold onto him. "You've got this!"

"Bakugou, I can't!" Uraraka cried out.

They were so close to the edge. _Just one more second, one more-_

 _Katsuki!_

He glanced down in his arms where Uraraka had gone limp. She had held on for as long as possible, but instead of releasing her quirk, her body had given out. The building stuttered and then began its very quick descent. Letting out a pained yell, he shot off one more explosion, more powerful than the rest combined and they burst into the clearing right as the building hit the ground. Unable to manage a proper landing, he had to wrap his other arm around her and roll over so that they landed on his back and the two of them skidded through rabble, rocks and glass tearing at his exposed skin, until they came to a complete stop.

"Holy shit, Bakugou, you made it!" someone that sounded like Kirishima shouted. It was hard to tell with his eyes closed, his body exhausted, and his brain so murky. He could feel himself fading as surely as Uraraka, but forced himself to blink and stare up at the dusty sky above him. "Someone get the paramedic over here! We've got Uravity and Ground Zero down!"

"I'm...fine…" Katsuki grumbled as he slowly pushed himself up. His back and shoulders hurt like hell, but nothing compared to his left arm. It would be stinging for the rest of the day. He glanced down at Uraraka slumped in his arms against his chest, her chin resting on hers. No, nothing could compare to what she felt like. It had been a long time since he'd seen something so incredible. Stupid as hell, but impressive. "Uraraka needs help though. She overdid her quirk again."

"No shit," Kirishima breathed out as he bent down to take a closer look.

"Where are your daemons?" Kazumi asked worriedly, appearing from behind Kirishima.

Mako came out of the dust and gently laid Uraraka's cat daemon on the ground. He was out cold like his human. She gave a great shake, knocking some of the dust off of her coarse coat of fur. "Miss me?"

Kazumi hurried over to the daemons and nudged the unconscious one. "Poor Hayato! He looks like he bled some Dust. I hope it didn't strain their bond." A consequence of overusing one's quirk could lead to a strained bond with a person's daemon. In some extremely severe cases where the quirk had been damaged, the bond could even potentially be severed.

"Nah," Katsuki said. "They're tougher than that."

Mako sat down on her haunches and tilted her head, her unblinking gaze moving from the cat to Uraraka still against his chest. _Where do you see fragile?_


	3. Roses

**Notes:** Something that seems very minor or is a throwaway happens in this chapter that marks a change between Bakugou and Uraraka. Whether either of them realizes it until later on because they're caught up in their own stuff, that's another thing.

* * *

 _ **Day Two: Roses**_

* * *

 _You should get her roses._

 _I'm not getting her roses._

 _Why not? They're pretty - like her._

 _Would you shut up or go away?_

 _I can't. I'm your soul._

If Katsuki wasn't certain that it would knock him unconscious, he was liked to strangle his own daemon. Even though she could feel his disgruntlement towards her coursing through their strong bond, she didn't have the shame to appear anything but smug as he stood awkwardly outside the gift shop in the hospital. He didn't know what he was doing here. It wasn't like he was the type of person that gave people flowers, get well cards, or stuffed animals when someone was hospitalized.

"This is stupid," Katsuki decided, turning on his heels and walking away from the shop.

"Oh don't be like that," Mako teased as she easily got in front of him and stopped him in his tracks. "You can't visit her with nothing. Everyone else got her something."

Katsuki glared. "I don't care what everyone else did."

Mako sat down. He could've moved around her without an issue, but he stood still and they stared each other down. It was her fault that they were here in the first place. She had suggested that they visit Uraraka while she was recovering after what she'd done the day before. Lifting that building had saved so many lives, but it had put a serious hurting on her. He kept thinking about her quirk. It was possible to use it too much and the damage could be irreparable.

And then there was all that golden Dust that her daemon had been bleeding…

Daemons didn't bleed dust unless they were dying. Whenever he thought back to that moment, it unsettled him. He didn't know what he would do if Mako ever bled like that. As much as she frustrated him sometimes and he did her, he was wildly protective of her and not just because she was his soul and a part of him. Daemons could bleed like a normal animal, but when they bled Dust, things were very bad.

She had saved the day, but at what cost? She could have died.

Huffing, Katsuki turned back around and stomped into the shop. He completely ignored Mako, whose smugness radiated between their bond, as she wandered around the store. The cashier behind the counter eyed them with barely contained suspicion, his bird daemon twittering anxiously. Katsuki didn't know shit about flowers and Mako didn't either. They all looked dumb to him. The names meant nothing to them, their meanings even more lost. He was tempted to get the pinkest ones and be done with it.

"Hayato said she likes roses," Mako hummed as she returned to his side.

Katsuki looked down at her. "Since when do you two talk?"

Mako tilted her head up, giving him that innocent look only a canine could manage, but her tail was swishing in a conspicuous manner. "Since the beginning of the year." When Katsuki furrowed his brow, she rolled her eyes. Why hadn't she told him that? "You're so stubborn – can't see a good thing until it's nearly gone."

He was most definitely mad at her for keeping secrets from him – daemons weren't supposed to do that, least of all them – but he bought a few white roses and called it a day. Even if Uraraka didn't like them or thought he was crazy for getting her something, it appeased Mako and sometimes it was best to just do it. When he didn't, she would egg him on, like she knew him better than he knew himself. There were times when she knew things before he did, so he'd learned to trust her instincts.

But he still didn't like it all the time.

The door to Uraraka's room was already open and he could hear her quiet murmuring along with her daemon's. He had a slightly higher voice than most male daemons, dryer than expected of her. Maybe, just as Mako could be admittedly calmer than him and voiced his softer thoughts, her daemon was the… He wouldn't say meaner side of her, more like the side of her that was ready to fight. He'd seen it a few times and it never failed to catch his attention. After all, he'd learned to pay attention to people and their daemons more.

Before Katsuki could reconsider how stupid this was, Mako confidently padded into the room. He swore at her to get back, but it was too late. The talking stopped as soon as she was spotted and they would know exactly who was standing outside of her room like a complete idiot. Blowing out air, he stepped inside and stopped when he came around the curtain.

There was Uraraka sitting in the bed, the blanket resting on her lap. She was still in a hospital gown, but there was much more color to her face than the last time he'd seen her, those pink spots on her cheek shining as she smiled at him. Besides being in a hospital, she looked good. She looked normal. She didn't look as if she'd nearly tore herself apart to save everyone two days ago. Remarkable what a good doctor and someone with a healing quirk could do for a person.

Sitting at the foot of the bed, her daemon eyed him before laying down to get closer to Mako's level. He looked perfectly healthy again, his coat that impressive reddish golden color. It was weird seeing her act so familiar with Uraraka's daemon as the two of them fell into their own private conversation. He'd have to wheedle the information out of her later. And she said that he was stubborn.

"Bakugou, I didn't expect to see you," Uraraka greeted cheerfully.

"Yeah, well." Katsuki lamely waved the flowers in the air. Not that it mattered. Her room was filled to the brim with flowers. She would struggle to figure out what to do with all of them. He didn't know how the competing smells weren't overwhelming. Judging by the way her daemon's nose kept twitching, it was bothering one of them.

He went to set them down in a free spot, but then Uraraka held out her hands, which forced him to step to the side of her bed so that she could take them from him. "They're beautiful." Her voice was so soft and genuine that it made him squirm irritably. Honestly, they weren't that nice, just some boring white roses. He didn't know anything about flowers, but he knew better than to give her red ones. "I think I've received every flower except roses so far, but they're my favorite. Pretty basic, I know."

Katsuki didn't need to look over to know that Mako was grinning. He could feel how pleased she was to the point that it was melting into him and he tried to shove it back. He did not need to be feeling like that. There was no sense in it. Now she was just being a little shit on purpose.

"I was planning on talking to you when we got back to school," Uraraka said, gently gazing down at the flowers. She turned them over in her hands, but he wasn't sure if she was seeing them or something else entirely. "I wanted to thank you for…" She closed her eyes. "For saving Hayato. He wouldn't have gone unless you'd taken him."

In response, her daemon, Hayato, flicked his tail irritably. "I wasn't going to just leave you."

"We've got a longer bond than most - it comes with my quirk, I think - but we very rarely part unless absolutely necessary," Uraraka admitted, setting the bouquet down on her legs "We don't like being away from each other."

"You'll have to get used to that if you're going to be a pro," Katsuki pointed out.

"I know." Uraraka gripped her blanket tightly to the point where her knuckles turned white. "I kept begging him to leave, but he wouldn't do it. He wouldn't leave me. I didn't regret what I'd done, but I thought I'd killed us both."

Mako huffed, shaking her head. "He wouldn't have made it to the edge without forcing you to release your quirk and then you surely would have died." As usual, she was quick to point out the obvious, even though it might cut someone to the quick. She didn't hold back. Maybe she didn't yell as much as him or threaten as many people, but she was just as blunt as him. It somehow came out softer from her though despite those sharp teeth.

"I know, but I couldn't bear the thought of him getting hurt because of me," Uraraka replied.

"Absolutely stubborn," Hayato harrumphed, although he did crawl over her legs and the flowers so that he could press his body into her chest.

A bark of laughter tumbled out of Mako. "Tell me about it." Her tail swished from side-to-side, like a fucking dog, which she knew pissed him off, so she did it anyway. Gods, she was on a high today. Of course, she usually was after a big fight, be it a takedown or a rescue. In this case, it had been a bit of both. For some reason though, he didn't believe that was the only reason for her behavior. It almost felt like she was particularly pleased to be in here, which was absurd since she hated hospitals. "You should've seen him downstairs. He spent at least ten minutes deciding whether or not to get flowers and then another ten looking through all of them."

Katsuki's face burned red. "Oi! Stop being a little shit!"

"What?" Mako let her tongue loll a bit as she grinned at him. "I got it from you."

When Katsuki turned away from her, he saw that Uraraka was smiling. The dark cloud hanging over her had been broken. Even Hayato looked content as she scratched him behind his ears. For once, the cat daemon wasn't glaring or eyeing him with vague animosity. In fact, he almost looked happy to see them, his eyes going back to Mako, who trotted over to his side.

"Thank you again," Uraraka said, "for the flowers and for saving us."

"You don't need to thank me," Katsuki replied, "just promise that the next time you pull some crazy stunt like that, you'll warn me first so I don't have to do something equally insane."

Uraraka laughed. "I thought you always did stuff like that."

"Don't push it," Katsuki warned her, although there was very little heat behind his words.

Saluting him teasingly, Uraraka replied, "I promise." Although she sounded like she was joking, he knew that she meant it and he nodded his head.

This time he was the one that felt pleased with himself. He didn't want something like that to happen again. Seeing her struggling to keep herself together and then having her pass out in his arms had left an uncomfortable feeling in his gut, like he might get sick and wanted to fight at the same time. He'd been antsy and pushed himself harder at the gym despite his sore arm until Mako had suggested visiting the hospital. He felt better now, although he wasn't sure why, but he was sure as hell ready to go again and it looked like Uraraka was too.


	4. Rematch

**Notes:** Me at myself: Don't get lost in the exposition and world building.

Also me: But I want to write about Todoroki and his daemon. ;_;

One day, I swear. In the meantime, let's take a visit with everyone's favorite Kacchako trope: sparring.

Notes on Daemons  
Katsuki Bakugou: Eurasian Wolf - Mako  
Ochako Uraraka: Asian Golden Cat - Hayato  
Izuku Midoriya: Maned Wolf - Tomoko  
Shouto Todoroki: Arctic Fox - Shizuka  
Tenya Iida: Peregrine Falcon - Shun  
Tsuyu Asui: Poison Dart Frog - Kouki

* * *

 _ **Day Three: Rematch**_

* * *

Ochako had known that she was in for a bumpy ride when she had asked Bakugou for a rematch, but she hadn't realized just how intense it would be. Not that she hadn't expected anything less from him, but the moment she had been able to dodge that first punch, which could've knocked her across the room had it connected, her blood had begun to sing and she could feel Hayato's excitement and determination thrumming strongly through their bond. He was cheering for her out loud, but it was his emotions that bolstered her further.

It had been a few weeks into their third year when she realized that she and Bakugou went to Gamma Gym around the same time. However, as soon as she'd noticed him, she couldn't stop noticing him. It was impossible to ignore someone that simply radiated strength. She'd picked it out their first day of school when she had spotted his wolf daemon, but it was somehow different now. It was overwhelming. It was more. He didn't even need to use his quirk these days for that feeling of power to radiate from him.

Of course, he had to be like that if he was going to compete with Deku and Todoroki.

They had grown a lot too since the very beginning. Ochako hadn't really thought about what would change as they grew during the three years they were at UA, but Deku hitting a growth spurt and gaining muscle had caught her off guard. Even his Tomoko was stronger-looking, although she would never be able to grow completely out of that thin body. It was all her and totally unique. As much power as they had though, Deku still got lost in thought and Tomoko continued to play around with Hayato.

Meanwhile, Todoroki had begun to, for lack of a better word, thaw out as the years passed. The more he used the fire side of his quirk, the more powerful he became. It had taken until Uraraka had nearly died for his Shizuka to start speaking with Hayato, but once they did, the two of them became exceptionally close. It was unexpected of the fox daemon, who was even more closed off than Todoroki. Hayato kept their conversations private, although he admitted that he was uncertain if Shizuka did the same.

Bakugou couldn't expect to become one of the top heroes if he did not grow and change at least a little during his time at UA. They went in as children and they would come out as heroes, one way or another. He was still arrogant as hell and could be an asshole when he wasn't in the mood, but he had people that he cared about and he was much more willing to work with others. Ochako had thought Mako was massive when they were first years. Now in their third year, she had grown larger with more muscle, massive paws, and even sharper teeth. Her muzzle was thinner than the wolves seen on television, but that didn't make her any less dangerous.

The most notable thing about her was the scar on her face, but that had been there since the kidnapping. Most daemon wounds healed without incident, but occasionally, if the wound was deep enough, both physically and mentally, it didn't. No one ever mentioned it, not even Deku, although Tomoko must have asked because she and Mako had gotten into it severely after their first Provisional License Exam. The scar wasn't as large three years later, but it was still there, just as Deku's and Tomoko's had never faded as well.

Mako prowled on the outskirts of the mat now, her head held low like she might growl and her eyes locked on Ochako and Bakugou as they grappled with each other. Just as it had been impossible to ignore Bakugou's power, she could feel the wolf daemon's eyes locked on her, sizing her up for what felt like a meal. It was the same way Bakugou looked at her now as he looked for an opening, but instead of scaring her, she felt thrilled. Not to mention sore as hell.

She had done more with hero internships to help with her hand-to-hand combat and fighting skills, but what she really needed was a sparring partner. Practicing moves and hitting a punching bag would only do so much. Hayato had pointed out that Bakugou had been the one to inspire her and recognize her weak spot in the first place. Plus they went to the gym at the same time. Maybe back in their first year she would've hesitated to ask him, but now in their third year and much more comfortable with each other after having lived in the dorms, it hadn't taken her much to walk up and basically ask him if he'd fight her.

Instead of scoffing or turning her away, Bakugou had smirked and asked, " _You looking to get your ass kicked?"_

Ochako thought she put up a damn good fight, especially after a month of going at it with him, but she knew that there was plenty of room to improve too. Bakugou was on such a higher level than her and she knew that he wasn't going all out, if only because they couldn't rely on Recovery Girl to patch them up every time they got into a down and dirty rough and tumble. She was fine with that. She had to learn and couldn't start where he was and he was able to learn how to rein himself in when the situation called for it.

No matter how much he threw her around today, without the use of his quirk, she always got back up again and, even though he harped on her about her form or something else, Bakugou was obviously pleased with the results. His eyes were sharp and intent, but there was a faint smirk on his face that he couldn't seem to wipe off. He was much quicker than her, light on his feet as he circled her counterclockwise while his daemon went the other way. Hayato sat still on top of a bench, watching Ochako's every move. It felt like a game of wolf and prey, but even if she was the prey, she'd fight like hell back.

Going at him again, Ochako went in for the attack and then dived to the left to hit him on his side. He slid his left feet back almost effortlessly to get out of her reach and grabbed her wrist to use her own momentum to throw her onto the ground. She hit the mat hard, rolling all the way off it. Her body ached and begged for a break, but she pushed herself up anyways.

Bakugou shook his head. "Too obvious, Uraraka. You've gotta surprise me."

"Katsuki loves surprises," Mako supplied from the side. She padded closer over to Uraraka, to the point where it put her on edge, but kept an appropriate distance. After examining her so thoroughly that Uraraka wanted to squirm, the wolf daemon actually snickered. "People are going to think that he's beating you."

He wasn't, but it sure looked like it. Ochako had well-earned bruises all over her that she didn't regret one bit. Sure, Tsuyu asked her if she was alright, her little Kouki pointing out that Uraraka had more color on her than him. Iida had even pulled her aside to ask if there was anything she needed to talk about in private. That had made Hayato laugh so loudly that his poor falcon daemon had ruffled her feathers and leapt from his shoulder to tut at him. Shun hadn't taken Hayato's amusement of Iida's concern well. Deku hadn't asked, but then Hayato noted that Tomoko had been paying attention to Bakugou and Mako more.

None of them knew exactly what Ochako and Bakugou were doing. In fact, they weren't aware of it at all. Not that they would disapprove, but she knew that he was actually a private person and she liked the idea of improving her skills without everyone knowing. They were her friends, but they could also be competition and having one over them would show them that she meant serious business.

Bakugou waved his fingers at her. "Again."

This time, when Ochako came at him, she moved to dodge to the right and Bakugou started to actually sigh, but then she sprung up at the last second and activated her quirk on herself to flip right over him. He tried to duck and grab her by the ankle at the same time, but she planted a hand on his shoulder and lifted her legs of his reach. She didn't activate her quirk on him until she was completely over him, gripping the sleeve his shirt, and throwing him as hard as she could.

Without his gravity, using his quirk to steady himself would be disastrous, and not used to being without it, he had no way of controlling himself in the air and he slammed into the wall. Throwing him had shoved her to the ground and she planted her feet on the ground to spring at him again, still holding onto her quirk. He did the same on the wall though and leaped to the ceiling, spinning around in wobbly manner to land upside down on his feet. This time, despite the danger, he used a small pop his quirk to launch himself at her, too quick for her to dodge, and he slammed her down onto the mat.

Fighting for air, Ochako pressed her fingers together in between their chests and gasped, "Release."

Unfortunately, that meant all of Bakugou's weight fell on top of her as they dropped a few inches back to the ground that they'd started to float from. He tried to catch himself, but it was difficult with his arms around her waist. Instead what ended up happening was Bakugou landing in between her legs and his face against her chest. His face was bright red when he planted his hands on either side of her and shoved himself up, but she couldn't tell if it was from the fight or embarrassment. She knew which one was causing her to blush.

Bakugou was heavily breathing, but managed to tell her, "Not bad."

"You did okay without gravity," Ochako told him, looking up at him.

He didn't move off her and she didn't try to slide out from underneath him. The two of them stared at each other, like they were stuck. Maybe it was another competition where the first one to blink or move lost. It sometimes felt like everything was a competition or a fight with Bakugou, but she was ready to rise to the occasion. Her heart was still racing wildly as she tried to puzzle the emotion in his red eyes. She felt compelled to touch his face, as if it might give her a clue, but he snatched her by the wrist before she could and her heart skipped a beat. Instead of looking angry though, there was something else on his face that she'd never seen before.

And then Hayato was in her face, peering at her with worried brown eyes. "Are you okay? You two landed hard!"

Whatever feeling passing between them was shattered. Bakugou scrambled off and away from her so quickly that she barely had time to blink. She sat up and let Hayato jump into her lap to center her. She felt dazed and her mind was elsewhere. When she looked down at her daemon, he was peering at her with a knowing look in his eyes that had her narrowing hers at him. He didn't look so worried anymore.

When Ochako looked over, she spotted Bakugou and Mako arguing with each other under their breath, just quiet enough to where she couldn't understand what they were saying. Bakugou's cheeks were still flushed and his arms were folded across his chest while Mako was sitting on her haunches at his feet and peering up at him, that typical lupine grin on her face so that her teeth were showing. She looked amused and smug all at once, like Bakugou did whenever he won.

The two stopped arguing and Bakugou's eyes flickered over to her, his gaze so fiery and intense that Ochako held her breath, and then he was stomping away, snatching up his gym bag and leaving. "I'm out!" he called, sounding angry, which was completely at odds with how he'd been looking at her only moments before.

Mako was slower, standing up and shaking her head as she followed him out the gym. Right before she pushed through the doors, she turned back around and cheekily said, "We'll see you around," and then was gone.

Honestly, everything had happened so fast that Ochako didn't know what to do. After all, she was still sitting on the mat where Bakugou had pinned her. Silence overtook the room as her brain tried to work through what the hell went wrong. They had gotten into arguments before - the price of working with someone as opinionated and upfront as Bakugou - but nothing like this.

"What happened?" Ochako finally asked.

Hayato hummed and she knew he was pleased. "Something a long time coming."

Ochako frowned. Well that didn't make any sense at all.


	5. Supernova

**Notes:** This might be my favorite entry of the whole week. At first, I didn't know what to do, but then it hit me and I loved writing it.

* * *

 _ **Day Four: Supernova**_

* * *

There was so much fire, but there was even more smoke, making it difficult to move. Ochako's helmet did little to filter it out and was making it harder to see where she was going. In a fit that she knew a few of her friends would scold her for, she pulled up the visor of her helmet and then held a hand over her nose and mouth. With her face exposed, smoke attacked her senses, but she was at least able to see better.

With that in mind, Ochako continued her search on the floor. So far she'd managed to get twenty-two people with their daemons and six pets out of the burning building. Of course she couldn't touch any of their daemons - it was a taboo even in situations like this - but she'd found out that she could cancel out a daemon's gravity as long as their person was touching them. She didn't know why and didn't question it. All she knew was that she could save people and she had to save more.

By the time she finished her sweep of the top floor, she was coughing. There was no one up here. She was terrified that she had missed someone, but she couldn't waste anymore time in here. It would collapse at any minute and she couldn't take the smoke any longer. Before she could find a window though, she heard something burst from the stairwell door down the hallway. When she turned to look in that direction, she was stunned to see Mako shaking off soot and pieces of wood.

"What are you doing?" Ochako demanded as she rushed over to the wolf daemon. "Is Bakugou in there?"

Mako shook her head and grimaced. "No, he's down below. He had to save a few people from the floor below us." Meaning that he hadn't been able to take her down with him. It wasn't an impossible distance for their soul bond, but it was bound to be painful. She was handling it with strength and dignity though. Ochako knew that some daemons would be crying and writhing in pain, not to mention how Bakugou felt. It was hard to use your quirk with your soul so far. "Where's Hayato?"

"Not in the building," Ochako said. "I didn't want to bring him in here."

It stretched their bond to the limit, but she handled it better than most. The distance they could manage with their bond had always been a little longer than normal, but once she had started using her quirk on herself more, they'd had to learn to push it even further.

Despite giving her an incredulous look, Mako didn't comment on it. Instead she turned back from the door that she had burst through. "There's a woman in the stairwell. She won't leave without her suitcase full of photo albums and that thing is damn heavy. Her squirrel daemon freaked out the moment she saw me and won't listen. Idiots."

That had to be the last person in here. Ochako didn't think she could manage anyone else, not with the way she was hacking. She stepped into the stairwell and spotted the woman leaning against a large suitcase and close to falling unconscious from smoke inhalation. Instead of wasting time arguing with her, Ochako used her quirk to lighten the woman and the suitcase and then dragged them to the nearest window. She released them from the quirk and then activated it again so that only a little bit of their weight remained. It had taken her three years to figure that out. With that done, she was able to push them out the window and watched as they slowly floated to the ground.

"Okay, I think that's it." Ochako turned to face Mako. "We can go down the-"

There was a loud crash that forced Ochako to duck and shield her face as the ceiling in front of them crashed. Embers splashed her arms, burning through the thin material of her costume. It stung, but she grit her teeth and dealt with the pain. When she lowered her arms, she could only gape as she saw that the route to the stairs was completely blocked off by burning debris. The way to the stairs was cut off, which meant that there was only one way down.

"You have to get out of here!" Mako exclaimed through coughs. "I'll find another way!"

Ochako turned to Bakugou's daemon, who was crouched low, as if she could somehow get closer to Bakugou. No doubt he was suffering down there as well, but he probably didn't know where his daemon was. This was too far for them. The strain was too much. She could see Mako struggling with the smoke as well. If she was having difficulties, then Bakugou was surely feeling the effects. If something were to happen to her…

There was only one thing to do.

Taking a shallow breath, Ochako lowered herself down onto her knees in front of Mako. "There is another way, but…" The wolf's eyes were bright, glowing through the smoke as the fire around them reflected in it. She wasn't afraid of Mako, not like she had been in the beginning, and maybe she sometimes got closer than normal, but never like this. Their eyes were locked on one another's and while bits of determination and fear could be seen in her eyes, there was also trust. "I won't do it if you don't want me to though."

Mako huffed out air through her nostrils. "No, it's…the best way. I understand. I just thought it would be…different."

"I know - it's not fair - but it's my turn to protect you two." A nervous chuckle slipped out of Ochako and she smiled weakly. "Bakugou is going to be furious with me."

Somehow, despite being a wolf, Mako's face softened. She was more expressive than any daemon she had ever seen. "Trust me, he really won't."

Even though the wolf was comforting her, Ochako still felt nervous as she stood up straight on shaky legs, a scared feeling bubbling in her gut. Despite the fire and smoke surrounding her that screamed at her to hurry, she hesitated when she stretched out a hand and closed her eyes. It couldn't be helped. She was about to do something that she'd never done before - that Mako had never done before - and all of it without Bakugou's permission and away from Hayato. It was unheard of. It was wrong on every level.

It was the only way to save them.

 _Hold on,_ Ochako sent along her bond to Hayato.

 _What are you doing?_

In the end, Mako made the decision for them all as she pressed her head into Ochako's hand. An explosion of heat hotter than any fire burst inside of Ochako, so strong that it nearly sent her reeling and she had to put a free hand on the edge of the window in order to keep standing. It wasn't painful though, as much as she'd feared. It was warm and powerful and so overwhelming that she wanted to bask in it forever. It was like standing in the sun after being in the cold for so long. She could feel his confidence, his insecurities, his pride, his fear, his strength…

With Bakugou's soul in her hand, Ochako could feel all the things that made him burn so bright and it made her want to burn with him.

And then, digging her fingers further into Mako's fur - into Bakugou's soul - Ochako jumped out the window and they fell together.

* * *

Katsuki had barely managed to carry the two kids out of the burning building before the exit exploded behind him. The children screamed in his arms, clinging to him as he bent down and huddled over them taking the brunt of the heat and explosion for them. Luckily it didn't hit him directly, but it sure as hell wasn't fun, especially when his shoulders and back were peppered with burnt debris. After waiting to see if there was another one, he unfurled his body and set the kids down so they could run to their parents.

When he turned around to assess the damage, his stomach twisted. The way in was gone. He could launch himself back up and get in through a window, but then he'd have to find Mako in time before the building collapsed. Their soul bond would allow them to seek each other out. Whether or not the building would stay standing for long enough was another thing. He could do it. He had to do it.

If something happened to Mako, he would be dead.

When he took a step forward towards the building though, a frantic voice cut in demanding, "What are you doing, Bakugou?"

Sweeping his head back around, he found Hayato glaring up at him. "What does it look like I'm doing?" Katsuki searched the area, but didn't see Uraraka anywhere. What was her daemon doing without her? Then again, what was he doing without his? They'd been forced to split up and test the full limit of their bond. It was eating away at him, making him think that she was on the top floor. How far had Uraraka parted from Hayato? He knew that she had a longer bond than most. "Where's Uraraka?"

"Still inside searching for civilians," Hayato told him. His voice was confident, but he couldn't hide the way his tail flicked or his whiskers twitched. He was anxious and for good reason. Uraraka was up there and he couldn't get to her. It would've been a lot more convenient had he settled as some sort of bird, but no, she had to have a cat for a soul. "Where's Mako?"

"Doing the same," Katsuki responded gruffly. "That's why I've gotta-"

The overwhelming urge to cough came over him, forcing him to double over with his hands on his knees as he seemingly tried to hack a lung out. By the time he stopped, Hayato was right in front of him, far closer than he'd ever been before. Uraraka was so friendly and warm, but her daemon preferred to keep his distance from even her closest friends, making sure to stay out of reach. Here, at the base of a building on fire, he was close enough for Katsuki to touch without even stretching his arm out.

Katsuki thought to make a sharp comment about it, but a painful tug in his gut sent him down on one knee and a gasp of, "Mako," was ripped out of him.

"You're at your limit," Hayato surmised worriedly. "Stay still."

"I can't," Katsuki ground out. "I have to-"

He could feel her emotions through their bond, as strained as it was. Earlier she'd felt frustrated - at having been forced to separate and maybe from searching for a way out or dealing with a stubborn civilian. Now, despite being trapped in a burning building without him, she wasn't terrified. There was a hint of fear in her, humming like a guitar string being plucked, but mostly there was confidence, trust, and excitement. It was how she felt when they were about to win a hard fight. The exhilaration for something more. He couldn't figure out why she was feeling that now. It didn't make sense for the situation.

 _What are you doing?_ Katsuki demanded of her, hoping she could hear him despite their strain on their bond.

 _Hold on,_ was all she said.

And then his whole world exploded in a supernova and he had to press both hands to the ground to keep from falling on his face.

Even though his eyes were closed, all he could see was light until it felt as if he'd drowned in it. When he was finally able to come up for air, gasping as he barely held himself up, he felt… Fuck, he felt lighter than air, like he could fly without using his quirk, like he was soaring with no fear of falling. A chill ran down his spine, making him shiver and his fingers dig against the concrete, but it was wholly pleasant. Warmth soon followed, cascading over him, until all he could feel was a sense of comfort. The only way he could describe it was like being pulled into the warmest hug, being promised that he would be protected, and believing it.

When Katsuki managed to glance up, he connected eyes with Hayato, who had frozen in place. There was an indescribable emotion in them. His legs were locked in place, his hair standing on end, and his tail sticking straight up. It was only a few seconds, but looking at Uraraka's daemon now, he felt the strangest sensation to touch him and, even stranger, he actually thought that Hayato wouldn't say no.

"Look!"

Katsuki couldn't have said who had shouted, but he knew where to look as tight string between him and Mako began to loosen. He raised his eyes and let out a shaky breath the second he spotted her - and Uraraka. The two of them were floating gently back to the ground, Uraraka with her legs raised behind her. But what really caught his eye was the point of contact between the two of them. Uraraka was holding Mako's back with two hands, her fingers dug into the wolf's fur. Just seeing her touch Mako like that made him shiver again. Both his and Hayato's eyes were locked on them until they were touching the ground and Uraraka released them from her quirk.

Uraraka gasped as she pulled her hands away from Mako, as if she hadn't been breathing the whole time, and stumbled backwards. She would've fallen on the ground had Katsuki not managed to rush to his feet and catch her by the arms. Her cheeks were redder than normal, but it could've been from being surrounded by fire. She nodded her head, letting him know that she was okay, and he let go of her, albeit reluctantly. After feeling him touch and use her quirk on his soul, he felt compelled to stay close to her.

However, the desire to wrap his arms around Mako and never let go was stronger, and so he did, He staggered over to her and fell to his knees so that he could slide his arms around her neck and bury his face in her fur. She laid her head on his shoulder and pressed it against the side of his neck and face. He didn't cry, despite the fact that every emotion in the universe was crashing over them and through their bond.

 _You're safe, you're safe, you're safe._

Katsuki honestly couldn't tell which one of them was saying the words, but it didn't matter.

Feeling like they were one again, Katsuki unraveled his arms and leaned back so that he could hold her face and look her in the eyes. There was something strange in them, something bright that he'd never seen before, and he knew right then. He glanced back at Uraraka, who was on the ground hugging Hayato and close to tears. Nothing would ever be the same.

And he didn't want it to be. Neither of them did.


	6. Kings and Queens

**Notes:** Oops! I forgot to post yesterday's entry! I thought I did. I'm really glad I checked because ya'll would've been confused at the jump between Day 4 and Day 6. Silly me. I got distracted posting chapters for both of my long fics.

* * *

 _ **Day Five: Kings and Queens**_

* * *

"There's something different about you, something I can't put my finger on."

The last thing Katsuki needed was Kirishima in his face at eight in the morning, but here they were, him sitting patiently in his desk while the redhead peered at him closely. Katsuki didn't dein to give him a response and Mako yawned as if they hadn't been up since 5:30 a.m. and gone for their morning run.

In between their desks, Kazumi prodded Mako, who merely laid her head down. Kirishima's daemon had never been afraid of Mako, even when she should've been. Kazumi was just as fearless and hardheaded as her human, but she was a good soul. It did help that she could roll up in a protective ball that not even Mako's powerful jaws could break easily. The fact that she was not easily hurt was one of her selling points. Mako loved it when another daemon put up a fight, just as much as she loved it when daemons quivered before her. They both did.

"Maybe it's not him," Kazumi suggested. "Mako seems different too."

Kirishima tapped a finger on his chin. "You've been like this for two weeks, ever since that rescue mission during our last internships."

"Wasn't aware of it," Katsuki finally said as Aizawa stepped into the classroom. His daemon was tucked into his scarf on his shoulder like normal, only her head and long tail poking out. It had taken two years before anyone had learned her name, even though she had barked and howled at all their daemons for holding their humans back. And people thought that Aizawa was the distant and harsh one.

Kaminari leaned in his seat on the back two legs. "You didn't hear, Kirishima?"

That caught Kirishima's interest immediately. "Didn't hear what?"

The second Katsuki met Kaminari's eyes, he knew. Somehow or another, that blonde little shit knew. No one else in their class had been around to see what had happened. Out of politeness and because it had been a huge taboo, Uraraka hadn't told any of her friends either. He thought she might've felt guilty or ashamed, even though her action had saved his and Mako's life, even though he wouldn't trade what he'd felt for anything. It could've been awful. It could've been so revolting that it would've made him sick.

Instead Katsuki couldn't remember ever feeling more connected with someone and _alive_.

"Don't," Mako warned, not moving from her spot or even opening her eyes.

Kaminari's daemon had a little more sense than him, but even Hikaru had a bad habit of prodding Mako. The worst part was that she could get away with it most of the time. The last time Mako had snapped at her during a combat exercise, Hikaru had stabbed her with her ankle spurs and, shit, had that been painful for the both of them. Mako had howled for what felt like an entire hour as the venom worked through her system while Hikaru and Kaminari apologized profusely. Ever since then though, Mako had kept her attitude to a minimum.

Kazumi cleared her throat and stared right at Mako. "Uraraka touched Bakugou's daemon."

The tentative peace was shattered as Kirishima and Kazumi simultaneously exclaimed, "Are you shitting me!"

Katsuki clenched his hands into fists on top of his desk. "I'm not fucking talking about it."

"Bro," Kirishima said, much more tentatively, even being so bold as to put a hand on his shoulder, "that's a big fucking deal."

Of course it was. Katsuki didn't need to be told that. He knew that. Mako knew that. _Everyone_ knew that. You didn't touch another person's daemon. Not even villains did that with their victims unless they were truly a sick fuck. It was against the very nature of the world. People only touched another person's daemon if they were extremely close lovers or something even deeper than that. Had his parents touched each other's daemons? He didn't know. He didn't fucking know.

"You need to talk about it," Kazumi added gently.

"I don't need to do shit," Katsuki growled.

Even without opening her eyes, it was as if Mako could sense the armadillo daemon opening her mouth to argue and coldly cut in, "You heard him."

It was enough to silence the other daemon, who glanced at her human and then rolled into a ball that Kirishima could tuck into his lap. Contrary to what others might think, the action didn't meant that Kazumi had her feelings hurt; it meant that she was pissed. Mako worked at her jaw, trying to work out a strain. It was a subtle move, but enough to make even Hikaru shift uncomfortably.

However, when Katsuki glanced to the front of the class, he made the accidental mistake of catching eyes with Uraraka, who immediately blushed and looked away. In response, despite hating every second of it and being far too old for some silly bullshit, his cheeks flushed too. The thought of how it had felt when she'd touched his soul popped into his head and he nearly broke his pencil just thinking about how much he wanted it again.

"You know, it's okay to admit that it affected you," Kirishima told him in a low voice as Aizawa started class.

"Who says it did?" Katsuki demanded, not looking back at him.

Kirishima chuckled under his breath and even Kazumi tutted from her ball. "Hey, Ground Zero aside, you'll always be King Explodo Murder in this class. But what's a king without his queen?"

Katsuki was definitely not going to answer that and, at least this time, Kirishima knew better than to push it. They both got absorbed in the class, although Mako's clear disinterest kept distracting him. He willed at her to give a shit about the class, but she absolutely refused. It was frustrating. Her distraction was causing him to be distracted and he didn't like it.

 _Talk to her,_ Mako told him.

 _No._

 _Why not?_

The Katsuki of the past would've nudged her and said that there was no point. He couldn't do that now, not when he knew it would've been a lie. More than anything in the world, he wanted to talk to her. He wanted to pull her aside. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted everything about her. It had to be a consequence of her holding his soul, some sort of residue, but deep down, he knew that wasn't it. He'd wanted these things for a long time, but he'd been holding back and lying to himself. It wasn't like him to lie.

It wasn't until Ochako was wrapping up at the gym did Bakugou show up that night. He hadn't been coming since the daemon incident and she could understand why. He didn't want to be around her. She'd broken the ultimate taboo and it had made things incredibly awkward between them. She knew that he wasn't mad at her. Mako had said he wouldn't be and she trusted her to know how he'd feel. During the years that she'd come to know Bakugou, she had learned that his daemon was as bluntly honest as he was.

Still, things had been unsettled between them since then. Hayato had noted it immediately. He had implored her to speak with Bakugou, but she couldn't. She felt so ashamed. It was supposed to be something incredibly special between two people that fiercely loved one another to touch each other's daemons and she had robbed him of that. Yes, it had been to save him, but that wasn't the point. She'd committed a serious taboo in order to keep him alive. It was worth it, but there had been a cost.

Now, staring at Bakugou in the Gamma Gym, Ochako wasn't sure that she could afford it. She tightened her grip on her gym bag and muttered, "I was just leaving."

She took two steps, determined to barrel through and never look back, when Bakugou cut in with a simple, "Wait," and she froze on the spot. Hayato hadn't even moved from his position on the bench, the little traitor, and Mako walked around the edge of her in a way that made Uraraka want to shiver.

Not unpleasantly though. It was impossible to deny now - how much she yearned to touch the wolf daemon again. It had been a feeling unlike anything else.

Ochako swallowed. "Bakugou, I-" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I never apologized - for what I did. It must have unsettled you and I'm sorry, but-"

"I'm not sorry."

Her eyes snapped open and she gasped when she found Bakugou standing right in front of her. My god, he'd been quick and silent. He must have been working on his stealth skills. Having him so close took her breath away as she gazed up at him. There were a hundred things she wanted to say to him, but she couldn't get a single one out of her mouth. All she could do was stare up at him as he gazed down at her with an intense look in his eyes.

"You're...you're not?" Ochako finally managed.

Bakugou licked his lips, as if his entire mouth had gone dry from what he wanted to say. It drew her attention though and made things that much worse. She pulled her eyes back up to his, but the damage had been done. He knew exactly where her mind had gone and a smirk twitched onto his face because of it, which made her scowl a little. There was no need for him to get cocky.

"I'd be dead if you hadn't saved Mako," Bakugou told her, straightforward as always. "There's no arguing that."

"I know, but still-"

"I don't regret it," Bakugou interrupted. "Do you?

Ochako stared into his eyes and then, despite everything in her screaming to deflect, she whispered, "No."

A smirk pulled its way onto Bakugou's face and he said, "Then I'm not going to regret this," before cupping her face in his calloused hands and leaning down to press his lips against hers. Automatically, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer so that his chest was snug against hers as they kissed. Lights burst inside of her, similar to when she had touched Mako for the first time, but he only pressed against her closer.

It had to have been a few minutes before they pulled away, both of them gasping for air, but she didn't care. She could have kissed him for half the night in the gym if both of them hadn't known that Todoroki came in after them and while he might not say anything, his Shizuka sure as hell would. She'd proven to have a very sardonic personality upon opening up. Ochako snuggled against Bakugou's chest, letting him wrap his arms around her, and she peered over to see Hayato rubbing against Mako's legs in a pleased way while the wolf rubbed her snout against Hayato's side. It was such an obvious sign of affection that it brought tears to Ochako's eyes.

"You gonna cry?" Bakugou asked in a low voice.

Ochako laughed, a little hysterical, but then clung to him and pressed a kiss against his chest where his heart would be, causing him to take a shuddering breath. "I'm just happy, is all."

"We're happy too!" Mako called out from the side of the room and Ochako laughed. Leave it to Bakugou's daemon to speak the words that he couldn't. He seemed to know that just as well as he growled irritably and then buried his face into the crook of her neck. He was happy too. She couldn't ask for anything better or more.


	7. Ten Years Later

**Notes:** I didn't have time to post this yesterday, but here's the final installment for Kacchako Positivity Week! I had a blast writing this and you can guarantee that I will be writing more from this AU for other characters as well. Thank you for reading!

* * *

 _ **Day Six: Ten Years Later**_

* * *

The alarm sounding off made Ochako groan. This was her day off and she'd had no intention of waking up before nine. She'd earned the ability to do that. It was her right to be able to sleep in without an alarm waking her up on the rare occasion that she had a day off and she was devastated over hearing one now, especially one that she heard every shift that her husband worked, seeing as how he was utterly determined to keep a strict schedule of running before he started his day, just as he'd done in high school. Honestly, she didn't know how she'd managed to get with such an early worm.

"Turn that blasted thing off," Ochako mumbled from her side of the bed. She could feel movement stir at their feet as their daemons began to wake up as well. Hayato was good at curling up and not taking space, but some were larger than others. They'd had to buy a king-sized bed for a reason.

The second the alarm was turned off, Ochako sighed in relief and sank back into the comfort of the bed, only to gasp again when she felt her husband wrap his arms around her and kiss her on the neck. He pulled her against his body and slid his hands down hers, his intentions so known that both of their daemons huffed and jumped off the bed. They didn't want to get caught up in the middle of that.

"Did you set an alarm just for this?" Ochako managed as he worked against her.

"Maybe."

Honestly, she should've expected something like this of Katsuki Bakugou, but he was still full of surprises seven years after being married.

It had been ten years since she'd touched his daemon and everything had fallen into place after that. Just as Hayato had told her months before, it had been a long time coming. The two of them had been on a crash course to each other since perhaps day one, unable to realize it until that very moment. Their daemons had known. That much was for sure now. They'd spoken to each other when the two of them weren't looking, understanding what their humans felt for each other but couldn't yet admit. So stubborn, their daemons would've said.

They had no room to complain now, seeing as how Ochako and Katsuki essentially kicked them off the bed as she rolled onto her other side and pressed her front against his. He growled in pleasure and moved so that he was hovering over her on the bed under the blanket. He ground his hips against hers and kissed her deeply on the lips before sliding his tongue in.

And then there was loud squealing from the door, "Mama! Dada!"

Katsuki ripped himself off her so quickly that Ochako felt dazed, but then a second later, their daughter was bounding in the bed and jumping in between them. Whatever hot and heavy moment going on between her and her husband was surely over in an instant, but she didn't mind one bit, not when she watched Katsuki take hold of their little girl in a warm hug and fall back onto the mattress so that she was lying on his chest.

"What are you doing up so early?" Katsuki asked, not sounding angry at all over having an intimate moment interrupted. Ochako smiled. She could remember an incident when Kirishima had interrupted a heavy make out session and Katsuki had blown up like a volcano. That wasn't even mentioning the time Deku had walked in on them kissing for only the third time. They didn't talk about that, if only because it made Mako laugh too much.

Meiko's daemon transformed from a lion cub to a moth, fluttering over to her and landing on her shoulder, before turning into a gecko. "We heard Dada's phone. That means time to get up!"

Ochako gave Katsuki a knowing look, which he determinedly ignored. It was definitely his fault that they'd had a daughter that got up at the crack of dawn or whenever an alarm went off. He was too busy watching their daughter as she laid on his chest and kicked her feet in the air, comfortable as could be. Hayato hadn't spoken more than a few words to her parents until she applied to UA and Katsuki had admitted that Mako had made snide comments but never had an actual conversation with his until after he'd been kidnapped.

A warm sense of pride burst into Ochako's chest whenever Kaida talked to them. She was utterly comfortable with conversing with them and their daemons. It wasn't normal. For children, it took longer for their daemons to speak with other people, which was only natural considering that a daemon was someone's soul. Meiko's daemon had started talking to them a year ago, stilted words as hers were, but just as warm. Luckily, they'd already been prepared for a surprise, seeing as how her daemon had been the same sex too.

Katsuki had been elated. No matter what, he would've insisted that she was the most special girl in the country, but now he had cause. He would have loved her with everything in him had she been quirkless with some normal, boring daemon that didn't talk to them. Seeing as how their daughter had a disastrous combination of their quirks, an exceptionally social daemon, and one of the same sex, he was on cloud nine. Of course this was his girl. How could she have expected less of his progeny?

"What if Dada and Mama wanted to sleep in?" Katsuki asked their daughter.

"No such thing!" Meiko insisted. "Heroes never sleep in."

"Maybe because their nosy little daughters jump in bed and wake them up," Katsuki shot back. Before Meiko could protest, he started to tickle her and she flopped on the bed between them, flailing and kicking in protest as she giggled. Ochako saved her, pulling Meiko into her arms and rolling away from Katsuki, the two girls laughing in the process. "Now I have to get you both!"

"No, Mako, save us!" Meiko cried out.

The wolf daemon had been waiting for her moment and a grin cut across her face before she got into position and leaped onto the bed. She was able to jump clean over Ochako and Meiko without touching them and landed solidly on top of Katsuki, who grunted and curled up in slight pain over his massive daemon landing on him. Mako had been careful to not jump on him entirely, but she was still heavier than Ochako and was enough to pin Katsuki to the bed as she licked his face.

"Fuck, Mako, stop!" Katsuki yelled.

Meiko gasped. "Dada said bad word. He pay the swear jar."

Ochako kissed her daughter's cheek. "That's right." At this rate, he was going to pay for her entire schooling before she went in the next few months. When she glanced over at him, his eyes were narrowed. "He should know better by now."

"Oh, I do," Katsuki replied, "but I know how much it gets you warmed up when I talk like that."

Swelling up, Ochako forced a nervous smile on her face and muttered, "Not now."

Meiko's daemon, turning into a maned wolf cub, sat in between them. "What are you talking about?"

Of course Katsuki grunted in disgruntlement over their daughter's daemon turning into a smaller version of Deku's, but it couldn't be helped, as her favorite pro hero (outside of her mommy and daddy, of course) was Deku. In all honesty, Ochako loved it. She'd never forget how much Deku had cried when he'd held a three month old Meiko and her daemon had turned into a baby mirror version of Tomoko.

"Just how fucking beautiful you two are," Katsuki reassured her, leaning over to kiss Meiko on the forehead.

"Swear jar!" Meiko insisted again.

Standing over Bakugou, Mako wore one of those lupine grins that Ochako had come to associate with her. She laid down on the bed again so that she was laying on both her and Katsuki, a warm and pleasant bolt of electricity shooting between them even though there was a blanket separating them. Hayato jumped on the bed next, sliding under Katsuki's raised hand before curling up in a spot against the small of Ochako's back.

Ground Zero and Uravity doing domestic shit together. It seemed unreal.

 _I quite like it,_ Hayato pointed out from his spot.

"Wouldn't trade it for anything," Mako said from hers.

Ochako smiled at her husband. "You always have to be louder."

Katsuki snorted. "You'd have me any other way?"

No, she wouldn't. Soul and all, Ochako loved Katsuki the way he was now and she wouldn't take away anything that they'd gone through to get here. Meiko and Kaida were proof enough and she loved them as dearly as she did him. It was worth it all.


End file.
